Biological Sciences Division Research Highlights

Scientists Capture "Redox Moments" in Living Cells

Artistic rendition of cell-permeable chemical probes labeling redox-sensitive cysteine thiols in living Synechococcus sp. PCC7002. The background depicts the photobioreactor used to culture the cyanobacteria. The probes and photobioreactor were developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Enlarge Image.

Scientists
at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have charted a significant signaling
network in a tiny organism that's big in the world of biofuels research. The
findings about how a remarkably fast-growing organism conducts its metabolic
business bolster scientists' ability to create biofuels using the hardy microbe
Synechococcus, which turns sunlight into useful energy.

The
team glimpsed key chemical events, known as redox reactions, inside living
cells of the organism by using a chemical probe they developed that allows
live-cell labeling. They also developed an in
vivo labeling and imaging strategy to identify
proteins undergoing these reactions in the photoautotrophic cyanobacterium. Their publication in ACS
Chemical Biology marks the first time that redox activity, a very fast
regulatory network involved in all major aspects of a cell's operation, has
been observed in specific proteins within living cells. See more in the PNNL news release.

The
research is featured on the journal's cover, and two of the authors, post-bachelor
and post-doctoral researchers Natalie Sadler and Dr. Matthew Melnicki, will be
profiled on the ACS website as student authors.

Acknowledgments:

Sponsors: U.S. Department of Energy Office
of Biological and Environmental Research Genomic Science Program through PNNL's
Foundational Sciences Scientific Focus Area (SFA), Biofuels SFA, and Panomics
SFA.